docs: def getConf(self):
          """
          return configuration in a json object that stores properties set by each *InfoFlags class
          """
          conf = {
              "articleInfo": self.articleInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "eventInfo": self.eventInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "sourceInfo": self.sourceInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "categoryInfo":  self.categoryInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "conceptInfo": self.conceptInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "locationInfo": self.locationInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "storyInfo": self.storyInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "conceptClassInfo": self.articleInfo._getFlags().copy(),
              "conceptFolderInfo": self.articleInfo._getFlags().copy()
          }
          conf["articleInfo"].update(self.articleInfo._getVals())
          conf["eventInfo"].update(self.eventInfo._getVals())
          conf["sourceInfo"].update(self.sourceInfo._getVals())
          conf["categoryInfo"].update(self.categoryInfo._getVals())
          conf["conceptInfo"].update(self.conceptInfo._getVals())
          conf["locationInfo"].update(self.locationInfo._getVals())
          conf["storyInfo"].update(self.storyInfo._getVals())
          conf["conceptClassInfo"].update(self.conceptClassInfo._getVals())
          conf["conceptFolderInfo"].update(self.conceptFolderInfo._getVals())
          return conf